Box Score
LAKE CHARLES – Patrick Richard scored a game-high 17 points and Jeremie Mitchell scored six points in a 17-2 run in the first half as McNeese State built a 21-point lead and held to defeat Southeastern Louisiana, 61-47, in a Southland Conference game Wednesday at Burton Coliseum.
Mitchell added 14 points for McNeese State (7-9, 3-1 SLC), which shot 15-for-28 (53.6 percent) in the first half and led 31-10 at the 5:35 mark. Dontae Cannon added 12 points for the Cowboys while Rudy Turner chipped in with 11.
Richard, the Southland Conference's leading scorer entering the game, snapped a 4-4 tie with 17:20 to play in the first half. Turner added a jumper in the lane before Mitchell sank three free throws that put the Cowboys ahead, 11-4.
Cannon and Mitchell sank consecutive 3-pointers before Cannon added a layup that gave McNeese State a 21-6 lead with 10:05 remaining in the first half.
Southeastern (7-9, 1-3 SLC) shot 6-for-24 and trailed 38-20 after the first 20 minutes of action before opening the second half on a 7-0 run.
Jeremy Campbell hit a 3-pointer for the Lions that closed the gap to 39-30 with 15:58 left, but the Cowboys would push the lead back to 47-32 as Richard converted on a three-point play with 12:44 remaining.
Campbell led Southeastern, which fell to 0-9 on the road this season, with 11 points while
Daron Populist added 10.
Roosevelt Johnson grabbed 10 rebounds for the Lions, who finished 16-for-46 (34.8 percent) from the floor.
McNeese State, which improved to 5-1 at home this season, was held to 8-for-29 (27.6 percent) from the floor in the second half and 0-for-7 from long range. The Cowboys finished 23-for-57 (40.4 percent) overall from the floor and held a 38-35 advantage on the glass as three players (Daniel Richard, Turner, Cannon) grabbed seven each.
Southeastern will return to action on Saturday when it plays host to arch-rival Nicholls State (4-13, 0-5 SLC) in a 6 p.m. contest in the University Center. Tickets are available by calling the Southeastern Athletic Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or on-line at www.LionSports.net.
SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA (7-9, 1-3 SLC)
Campbell 3-6 4-6 11; Populist 4-12 0-0 10; Nelson 3-5 0-0 9; Bailey 3-8 1-3 7; Patterson 2-4 2-3 6; Johnson 1-6 1-4 3; Petrovcic 0-2 1-2 1; Ochie 0-1 0-0 0; Cooper 0-2 0-0 0; Ross 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-46 9-18 47.
MCNEESE STATE (7-9, 3-1 SLC)
P. Richard 7-13 3-4 17; Mitchell 5-13 3-3 14; Cannon 5-14 1-2 12; Turner 4-8 3-3 11; Fields 1-1 3-4 5; McFerrin 1-1 0-2 2; D. Richard 0-3 0-1 0; Guidry 0-3 0-0 0; Hardy 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-57 13-19 61.
Halftime – McNeese State 38, SLU 20. 3-point goals – SLU 6-23 (Nelson 3-5; Populist 2-10; Campbell 1-3; Petrovcic 0-1; Ochie 0-1; Cooper 0-2; Patterson 0-1), McNeese State 2-12 (Mitchell 1-5; Cannon 1-3; Hardy 0-1; P. Richard 0-3). Fouled out - None. Rebounds – SLU 35 (Johnson 10), McNeese State 38 (Three with 7). Assists – SLU 5 (Populist, Johnson 2), McNeese State 6 (Cannon 3). Total fouls – SLU 14, McNeese State 15. Technical fouls - None. A – 782.
